Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Scottish Football Supporters Association?

We’re a fully independent, not-for-profit organization bringing together tens of thousands of football fans, individually and collectively, across Scotland.

What does the SFSA want to achieve?

We want to “Reclaim the Game” for ordinary fans and communities, injecting new energy, ideas, possibilities and resources into Scottish football by harnessing the talents and views of supporters.

What kind of changes will that involve?

It will mean making the voice of ordinary fans count in key decisions about the future of Scottish football, ensuring genuine supporter representation at all levels of the game, securing community ownership of clubs across Scotland, implementing fairer finance, and investing new belief in those who run and promote Scottish football.

Why is this important?

Scottish football needs a major shake-up. Only if it is genuinely run in the interests of the people whose loyalty and money enables it to exist will we get real change for the good of the game.

What makes SFSA different?

We are run for and by supporters. Scottish fans have lacked that powerful, independent voice until now, linked to European partners and capable of mobilizing for change on a large scale.

What are your going to be doing?

In short: creating a Fans’ Forum, running campaigns, promoting a manifesto for change, harnessing the expertise and enthusiasm of those who support Scottish football to issues of reform, magnifying the voices of ordinary fans where decisions about the game are made, surveying and crowd-sourcing ideas for transforming the game, supporting community buy-in and buy-out, promoting innovative ways of getting resources into the game and maximizing its capacity through grassroots engagement… and much more.

Who is behind SFSA?

A group of volunteers have initiated and established SFSA, with experienced football people including Paul Goodwin and Simon Barrow setting the ball in motion, so to speak! We have an initial business strategy and structure, including a Management Board and a Football Board, to guide things along. Our aim is to be a movement-style organization, rather than a bureaucratic one. But we also want to ensure proper representation, dialogue and involvement for fans across the game.

How can I or my supporters’ group get involved?

You simply need to pledge your support and then you will be able to get involved in setting up our democratic structure and supporting or initiating activity. We want SFSA to be your organization to help make the most and the best of Scottish football as your game.

What does it cost to join?

Membership is free to individuals, fans’ groups of all kinds, and affiliated bodies.

How are you financed?

At present by voluntary contributions. We are also offering commercial and sponsorship opportunities. We will seek to secure ‘seed’ funding in grant form. We are exploring crowd-funding for particular purposes. Our aim is to be self-sustaining and independent financially as well as in terms of organization and decision making. One of our aims is to promote the idea of a ‘fans levy’ and to look at possibilities of a credit union style ‘fans bank’.

More questions?

Feel free to drop us a note! We will be adding to this FAQ as we move forward…